Greek government has sold air-cushioned landing craft Zubr-class to China

ATHENS, -- Greek government has sold air-cushioned landing craft Zubr-class to China. The Zubr-class (Project 1232.2 class, NATO reporting name Pomornik) is a class of air-cushioned landing craft of Soviet design. This class of military hovercraft is, as of 2012, the world’s largest hovercraft. It is designed to sealift landing assault units (such as marines or tanks) from equipped/non-equipped vessels to non-equipped shore, as well as transport and plant mines.

There are currently nine ships in active service in the world. The Zubr is used by the Russian, Ukrainian, and Greek navies. The transfer of the Kefalonia (L- 180), the first of two Zubr hovercraft purchased by Greece, to the Hellenic Navy marked the first time that a Russian-made ship was purchased by the navy of a NATO member.

Hellenic Navy, which operates four ships. Three vessels were commissioned in 2001: the Kefalonia (L180) was purchased used from the Russian Navy and upgraded, the Ithaki (L181) which was completed in Ukraine, and the Zakynthos (L183) which was built in Russia. A fourth vessel, the Kerkyra (L182), was launched in June 2004 at St. Petersburg yard and was commissioned in January 2005.

HS Kefalonia (L180) - ex Russian Navy 717, commissioned 2001
HS Ithaki (L181) - hull launched in Ukraine 1992, commissioned 2001
HS Kerkyra (L182)
HS Zakynthos (L183)

Series vehicles ” bison ” are made only in Feodosia in the Bureau ” Almaz ” (St. Petersburg), they are designed for landing on unequipped coast and its fire support. The ship can carry 3 main tank weighing up to 150 tons or 10 armored personnel carriers and 140 troopers.

1st large amphibious Ship project ” bison ” bison ” in the Ukrainian classification) built in 2013 by order of China in Feodosia shipbuilding shipyard Sea in the Ukrainian part of order 4 is similar to the hovercraft. The ship was sent and delivered in the country of the customer in April-may last year for testing, the customer has paid for its construction with the ” Ukroboronprom “. Later in the PRC was sent a second Ship of the same series, and two more units were required to be built in China.” Debt PRC before you plant ” Sea ” for the second Ship is eleven, $ 2 million. The duty to ” Fiolent “plant supplying automation systems for the project, - 2, 6 million dollars, ” Skrynnik said. According to him, the calculations now go through the Federal service for military-technical cooperation of Russia.

Hellenic Navy Zubr-class HS Kefalonia (L180) air-cushioned landing craft.

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